Steam recuperator



Jan. 10, 1933. J. M. ROBB 1,893,715

STEAM BECUPERATOR Filed Feb. 10. 1927 Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITEDSTATES JOHN M. ROBB, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS STEAM RECUPEBA'IOR Applicationfiled February 10, 1927.

My invention relates to a system and means of returning exhaust steam tothe boiler through the medium of what I will call a hydraulic fly wheel.

One object of my invention is to return the exhaust steam to the boilerunder boiler pressure thus saving the amount of heat necessary toconvert water into that quantity of steam at that pressure.

Another object of my invention is to utilize the difference in weightbetween a column of water which carries with it a quantity of exhauststeam, and a second column of water only, to assist in the operation ofthe part of the device which I call the hydraulic fly wheel, and in thisconnection while water would be the easiest and cheapest medium to use,any relatively non-compressible fluid may be used, such as mercury,though it would be necessary to make a slight difierence in thearrangementof some parts of the device to use a fluid which could not bealso used in the boiler, though if the boiler and its associated partsare being operated on naphtha, the device may be used as shown equallyas well as with water as a fluid.

Other objects of my invention will appear and be described in thespecification.

The novelty of my invention will be hereinafter more fully set forth andspecifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown the essential elements of apower plant equipped with my recuperator and all connections necessaryfor its operation except the appurtenances of the boiler such as thegrates and stack.

Referring first to those parts of the drawing which show the ordinaryparts of a power plant, and which are shown more or less typically, 1represents a boiler having a steam and water drum or dome 2 from whichpressure line 3 extends, the latter passing through any suitablesuperheater 4:, The steam is conducted from the superheater 1 throughaline 5 to the turbine or engine 6 which may drive a generator or othersuitable device 7 A branch line 8 leads from the steam line 5 to thepower side of a boiler feed device 9 Serial No. 167,123.

and from the delivery side of the latter, feed water is conducted to theboiler through the line 10. The turbine or engine 6 is provided with anexhaust conduit 11 and a branch conduit 12 leads from the boiler feeder9 to the conduit 11.

These parts constitute the essentials of the usual power plant.

My hydraulic fly wheel consists essentially of the two columns 13 and 14which are connected together at their upper ends through the medium ofthe receiver or separator 15, and are also connected together at thebottom by the Venturi or combining tube 16 and circulating pump 17.

Thereceiver is connected by the pipe line 18 to the steam outlet 3 fromthe steam dome 2 of the boiler 1, and a branch steam line 19 extendsfrom the steam line 5 to the circulating pump 17, while the exhaust fromthe latter is conducted through the conduit 20 to the conduit 11, thelatter terminating in a nozzle 21 projecting into the Venturi tube 16.

A feed line 22 leads from the column 13 to the suctionside of the boilerfeeder 9 and in those cases where a fluid is used in the hydraulic flywheel different from that in the boiler, this feed line 22 would extendupwardly to a water level in the receiver or separator 15 which wouldthen perform, in addition to its functions to be presently described,the further function of separating the fluid used in the boiler from thefluid used in the hydraulic fly wheel.

It is to be understood that proper valves will be provided forcontrolling the flow of steam through the various lines of the plant.

In those cases where water is used as fluid throughout the system, thehydraulic fly wheel. is filled to a point somewhat above the bottom ofthe receiver 15, and the boiler is filled to the ordinary level and assteam is generated and the plant set in operation, the exhaust steamfrom the turbine 6, boiler feeder 9 and circulating pump 17 fills theconduit 11 while the water in the columns 18 and 141 is caused tocirculate upwardly through the column 1 1 to the receiver 15, thendownwardly through the column 13 and through the Venturi tube 16 wherethe pressure is converted into velocity and at the proper point in thisVenturi tube 16, the discharge of the nozzle 21 is located and theexhaust steam mingles with the water passing through the Vent-uri tubeand is carried with it through the circulating pump 17 and into thecolumn 14 where the velocity is converted into pressure and the exhauststeam travels upward with the water in the column 14: and is dischargedinto the receiver 15, the steam passing over through the line 18 to thesteam line from the boiler while the water passes downward through thecolumn 18 and is again circulated through the device.

It is to be noted that the contents of the column is through which thesteam and water rise to the receiver 15, is much lighter than thecontents of the column .13 so that the greater weight in the columnassists the circulating pump 17 in performing its function, and furtherthat the bubbles of steam having a natural tendency to rise in thecolumn 14 still further assist the action of the hydraulic fly wheel.

It is to be noted that in starting the device a quantity of the exhauststeam will be condensed thereby heating the water in the columns 13 and14 and it is further to be noted that after this wate has been heated,condensation will be reduced and the exhaust steam will be restored tothe steam line from the boiler though reduced in quantity by the usefulwork extracted through the turbine 01' engine and auxiliaries.

It is also to be noted that the hydraulic fly wheel is at all timesunder boiler pressure through the communication established by the line18. This pressure serving to compress the exhaust steam and also toincrease the pressure at the venturi 16.

lVhatever condensation occurs will of course raise the water level inthe receiver 15 which will correspondingly lower the water level in theboiler the difference being transferred to the boiler through the boilerfeed pump 9 and its connections.

By properly insulating the hydraulic fly Wheel against heat losses, theheat contained in the exhaust steam as well as a large por tion of thesteam itself will be returned to the steam line from the boiler and thethermal efiiciency of the whole power plant will be greatly increased.

It is to be noted that this system of recovering and recuperating theexhaust steam eliminates the necessity of all forms of condensers withtheir necessary and incident difiiculties and expense of maintenance andfurther eliminates the necessity for the large quantities of water whichmust necessarily be available where condensers are used.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim:

1. In a steam recuperator the combination of a pair of columns, aseparator to which both columns are connected, a boiler, means forutilizing the pressure developed by the boiler, a steam line from theboiler to the separator, a Venturi tube between the columns, acirculating pump in the recuperator, and an exhaust steam conduit fromthe means for utilizing pressure developed by the boiler and terminatingin a discharge nozzle associated with the Venturi tube.

2. In a steam recuperator the combination of a boiler, means forutilizing the pressure developed by the boiler, a water circulatingsystem connected thereto, means for circulating water in said system, aVenturi tube in said system, and an exhaust steam conduit from the meansfor utilizing pressure developed by the boiler and terminating in anozzle associated with the Venturi tube.

3. In a steam recuperator the combination of a pair of verticallyarranged columns, a separator to which the upper ends of both columnsare connected, a boiler, means for utilizing the pressure developed bythe boiler, a steam line from the boiler to the separator, a Venturitube connecting the lower ends of the columns, a circulating pump forcirculating water between the two columns to convert the pressure ofwater in one column to velocity for delivery to the other column to bereconverted to pressure, and an exhaust conduit from the means "forutilizing pressure developed by the boiler and terminating in a nozzleassociated with the Venturi tube whereby exhaust steam will beco-mingled with the water rising in one column thereby assisting theaction of the circulating pump.

JOHN M. ROBE.

